Clutch



A'. E. MASEK Feb. 29, 1944.

CLUTCH Filed July 3 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l (QM ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITED SfTlffIQSl t 2,342,880 1 .ff oLUToH d Adolph E'. Masemrulsa, Okla., assign-or to lFranles Manufacturing f(fioriior'atioirl, Tulsa, Okla., a cor: poration of Oklahoma y Application. July a, 1942, serial Neustes l a Claims. (c1: 19a-85) This invention relates to clutch mechanisms of the friction plate type and particularly to' imi provements in the clutch engaging mechanism whereby equalize'd pressures may be applied to all portions of the engaged surfaces' ofthe clutch.

A principal object vof this invention is to provideA means for hydraulically equalizing 'the pressures on the clutch engaging surfaces to assure rm and smooth engagement ofthe clutch members, and to eliminate undue and uneven wear kof the engaging members- Amore specific object is to provide an improved form and arrangement-for applying hydraulically equalized pressure about the surfaces of the clutch members through the medium of a. plurality of hydraulically connected clutch dogs employed for eiecting engagement of the clutch members.`

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment in accordance with this invention. y

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side View, partly in longitudinal sec-- tion along line I--I of Fig. 2, of a.' clutch mech-'- anism in accordance with this invention showing theparts when the clutch mem-bers are in enfgagement;

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation-.of the clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of a portion of Fig. l showing theV position of the parts when theclutch members are disengaged;

Fig. 4 is a schematic flow diagram showing the circulatory system for the hydraulic fluid. einpl'oyed in connection withA the clu't'clr mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, a clutch .drum I. is mounted on a stationaryl shaft 2 and is' rotatable thereon throughthe mediumv of roller'beaif-V Y `ings 3*. Drum I i's adapted toi be' connectditoL a machine element( noti shown' tobe driven thereby. Drum I is provided with an' annular horizontally extending edge flange Extending. parallel to drum I is an annu-lar friction plate 5 faced on both sides with friction surfacesfr andi 1. Friction lplate 5-is rigidly con-nectedito' anular flange Moy means' of bolts 8. Disposed on op- 6 and 'I by vmea-ns of aplurality of'coil springs' Il which are arranged concentrically about the axis ofthe clutch. The inside driving plate; 9' is provided with a plurality iof arms I2 equally spaced about its inner periphery and extending forwardly through the. group of clutch plates to a poi-nt adjacent the front face of outside driving plate I-f. clutchvdog, designate'd generally by the n-l-imeral:v I3 ispivotally connected to the end of each of arms I2 by means of apivot pin I4; and these clutch dogs are adapted to bear on suitable bearing surfacesgIS -icircularly disposed on the outerface of outside driving plat-e I0. With this arrangement, when clutch dogs I3 are brouglljtto bear on `bearing surfaces I5 to' force driving plate Illinto engagementywith'fric-tion plate 1, this movement willsimultaneously draw inside driving plate 9 into engagementwith the opposite friction plate 6 through leverageexerted through arms I2 about pivot pins Itas the fulcrums.

:Mounted on shaft 2 inside thecirculararea en.-

closed bythe clutch dogs I3 is acircular shifting plate I6, provlded-with-a; hubj Il extending-on opposite sides ofnshifting plate I6- Plate I6 isrotatable on shaft 2- about a bearing I8 on which itis also longitudinally slide-ble inwardly for a distance limited by a stop HLWv Shifting plate I5 is provided with a lperipheral ilange- 20 extending rearwardly therefrom. `The rea-1'. portion ofy the upper face of ,flange 20 tapers l iownwar'dly and rearwardly to form a circumferential cam sui'- fa'ce 2l whichterminates atan.y intermediate portion ofv flange 2li4 in `a` :circumferential locking groove 22.. A ring Shaped shifting yoke 23 surrounds the outer endofhuh I"I and is-y rotatively engaged therewith through anannular .tongueand-groover connection 2t.v Mounted on the outer end.. of shaft 2 rearwardly of shifting plate I6 is a pillow block 25` carrying horizontally disposed upper and lower hydrauliccylinders 26 and 2l,

draulic iluid to and from` therear ends' of cylint ders 26 and 2'I through-branch pipes-35 and 35.

nach et clutch dogs I3 consistsof. a hollow cylnder Slf openv at its inner end and closed-pat, its

outer endv 'oy a, head 38;. The inner end of cylinder 31 is provided with an inward extension 39 which is pivotally connected by pivot pin |4 to arm l2, as previously described. Extension 33 has a depending pawl 40 adapted to engage the inner face of shifting plate I when the latter is moved inwardly into clutch-releasing position (Fig. 3). The o-uter end of cylinder 31 adjacent peripheral flange is provided with a roller 4| which is adapted to roll on cam surface 2| during the operation of the clutch, in a manner and for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A cylindrical piston 42 is disposed in each of the cylinders 31 and is provided with a rounded outer end 43 which is adapted to rockably engage its corresponding bearing surface I5.y Each of the pistons 42 is provided with piston rings 44 to provide a fluid tight seal between the inner portion 45 and the open end of cylinder 31. 'I'he inner portions 45 of the several cylinders 31 are in communication with each other through a plurality of flexible tubes 46 connecting all of the cylinders in series. The cylinder at one end of the series is provided with a pressure grease tting 41 for the introduction of a suitable hydraulic fluid, such as grease, into portions 45 of the several cylinders 31 by means of the interconnecting tubes 46. The cylinder 31 at the opposite end of the-series is provided with a valve 48 which may be opened or adjusted to vary the hydraulic pressure in the several cylinders 31.

Fig. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the system for transmitting hydraulic fluid to and from cyllnders 26 and 21 for moving the clutch shifting plate I6 for effecting engagement and dis-engagement of the clutch members. As illustrated herein, the circulatory system includes a pump 50 which takes suction from a reservoir 5| through a pipe 52 and discharges hydraulic fluid through pipe 3|, thence through suitably connected ports of an 8-port rotary valve 53 of conventional construction, into branch pipe 32 which leads into the front end of cylinder 21, where the entering fluid forces piston 28 in the direction shown by the arrow applied to piston rod 29. Simultaneously, fluid behind piston 2B will be forced out through branch pipe 36, thence through another pair of ports of valve 53 into pipe 34 and back to reservoir 5I. When it is desired to move piston 28 in the opposite direction, valve 53 is rotated so as to place branch pipe 36 in communication with pipe 3| and to place branch pipe 32 in communication with pipe 34. Thus fluid from pump 50 will be caused to enter the rear portion of cylinder 21 through branch pipe 36 and will be expelled from the cylinder through branch pipe 32. The various ports of valve 53 and the various intercommunicating branch pipes shown on the flow sheet are employed to effectuate these reversals. It will be understood that the fluid circulating system including valve 53, as illustrated, is intended merely to portray a conventional set of connections for applying hydraulic pressure to opposite sides of piston 28 for effecting reversible movement thereof. The details of this portion of the clutch operating system form no part of the present invention. It will be understood that cylinder 26 is operated simultaneously in exactly the same manner through branch pipes 32 and 35 forming a parallel set of connections for cylinder 26 relative to pipes 3| and 34.

The mechanism heretofore described is operated in the following manner: Assume the clutch members are in the engaged position shown in Fig, l. All of the clutch members will be engaged in rotary movement about shaft 2. Hub I1 of clutch shifting plate I6 will be rotating relative to yoke 23 through the medium of the tongue-and-groove connection 24. It is now desired to dis-engage the clutch members. Hydraulic fluid from the circulatory system illustrated in Fig. 4 is fed through branch pipes 35 and 36 to the rear ends of cylinders 26 and 21, respectively. The resulting inward movement of pistons 28 moves shifting plate I6 inwardly, hub I1 moving toward stop I9. This movement forces rollers 4| out of locking slots 22 and rearwardly over cam surfaces 2| until it drops over the rear edge of flange 20 to the position shown in Fig. 3. This movement produces a rocking movement of clutch dog cylinder 31 about pivot pins I4 drawing end `43 of piston away from bearing surface I5 freeing outside driving plate ID, from friction surface 1, the rocking movement, at the same time, acting through arm I2, and pushing insidedriving plate 9 away from friction surface 6. These movements result in dis-engagement of the clutch members. When rollers 4| drop down over the rear edge of flange 20, pawl 40 will contact the inner face of shifting plate I6 and will prevent accidental re-engageinent of the clutch through the action of centrifugal force, since one or the other of the dis-engaged clutch members will normally continue to rotate.

When it is desired to re-engage the clutch, the movement of pistons 28 is reversed, retracting clutch shifting plate I6. This movement forces rollers 4| over cam surfaces 2| and this in turn raises the clutch dogs I3 bringing the pistons 42 back into contact with bearing surfaces I5, and thereby moving driving plates 9 and I0 toward each other into engagement with the friction surfaces of friction plate 5. By hydraulically equalizing the pressure of each of the pistons 42 on bearing surfaces I5 through the interconnection of cylinders 31 through tubes 46, equalized pressure will be applied at a plurality of equally spaced points about the clutching surfaces, and will thereby eliminate or greatly obviate the danger of unequal gripping of the clutch faces, consequent loss of power through slipping, and will also eliminate the difficulty of adjustment experienced with more conventional clutch dogs employing screw adjustments for equalizing the pressure.

It will be understood that shifting plate IB may also be mechanically shifted for actuating the clutch members with entirely successful results.

It will be evident that the described form and arrangement of the clutch dogs may be applied to single or multiple plate clutches with equal efficiency. It will also be understood that various cahnges may be made in the details of thedevice herein described within the scope of the appended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In friction type clutches employing parallel plate members adapted to be clutched together, improved means for equalizing the clutching pressure comprising, a, plurality of clutch dogs uniformly spaced about one of the plate mem-1 bers in rockable compressive engagement there-l with and having pivoted connection to the other of said plate members, means for connecting all of said clutch dogs to a common source of hydraulic pressure, and cam means engageable with said clutch dogs for rocking them into and out of compressive engagement with said one of said plate members for effecting engagement and dis-engagement of the plate members.

2. In friction type clutches employing parallel plate members adapted to be clutched together, improved means for equalizing the clutching pressure comprising, a plurality of clutch dogs uniformly spaced about one of the plate members, each of said clutch dogs including a cylinder and-a piston mounted therein, the piston having compressive rocking engagement with said one of the plate lmembers and the cylinder having pivoted connection to the other of said plate members, means for connecting all of said cylinders to a `common source of hydraulic pressure, and cam means engageable with all of said cylinders to impart4 rocking movement thereto whereby to move said pistons into and out of engagement with said one of said plate members for eiiecting y engagement and dis-engagement of the plate members.

3. In a friction type clutch including a friction plate and inside and outside driving plates adapted to be moved toward and away from the friction plate for clutching engagement and disengagement therewith, a plurality of clutch dogs comprising cylinders pivotally linked to the in-v side driving plate and pistons mounted in the cylinders and having rookable compressive engagement with the outside driving plate, means for connecting all of said cylinders to a common source of hydraulic pressure for equalizing the pressure on all of said pistons, and cam means engageaole with all of said cylinders to impart rocking movement thereto whereby to move said pistons into and out of compressive engagement with said outside driving plate.

ADOLPH E. MASEK. 

